Thursday, December 9, 2010

little girls getting bigger!

Esther is nearly one years old! She is crawling, standing, walking holding on to our fingers and generally doing everything an 11 month should be doing I think! Here a few pics to show you!



Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Happy Birthday!

I enjoyed a very special birthday as we had a night away in our wedding Hotel! It brought back very happy memories and it made us realise how blessed we have been since that day 8 years ago! I must say it's doing our relationship good to have these moments and great to have family close by to enable it!


K3 fan



Naomi has become a big fan of a girls band called K3. They are a all singing and dancing belgium/Dutch girl group. Chris got some free tickets to a live show so Naomi was in her element as you can imagine (Mama secretely loved it too!)

Autumm UK visit

We had a great time visiting family and friends in October. We enjoyed some lovely sunshine and loved catching up with church friends during a daytrip to Manchester. It was strange popping into our house whilst there but must admit we didn't miss it but we do miss our friends of course!



Monday, October 4, 2010

Brussels break

we had a lovely little break to Brussels last weekend. Chris had a factory visit nearby so we made the most of it with Naomi going to opa and oma (Leo's parents). The square was beautiful and we enjoyed some last bit of summer sunshine and great beer! Esther who is such an angel is quite happy to go without a nap all day but unlike her was subsequently very unsettled all evening! Definately getting the breast pump out next time!


Sunday, September 19, 2010

Centre Parcs

We had a midweek at Center Parcs which is big over here. I had always wanted to go again after many fun memories there when I was younger. It's the ideal place for kids and Naomi loved the fantastic pool. She is so adventurous going down all the big slides and wild water stream and has no fear of anything in the playgrounds either. We went to a big indoor fun park next to the park called Plopsa and she loved all the rides, but can become a little shy when meeting the famous characters!





family weekend away-Hoenderloo

We had a great time with my family in the village where my dad grew up. We celebrated my parents 70th and enjoyed being together (37 of us spread over 5 holiday homes!), going for a walk down memory lane for my dad and having pancakes! Lots of fun all round.




Esther in the big chair!

Esther at 8 months now sitting up by herself so ready to sit at the grown up table! As we are in Holland we have joined with the very popular red Stokke chair! (goes well with our red theme too!)

Even weg (little break)

Chris and I enjoyed a lovely day together with Esther whilst Naomi stayed at her cousin and found the perfect spot lounging in the sun with a glass of wine and a view of the lovely Vecht (river).


Thursday, July 29, 2010

Family visit Holland

we had a lovely visit from Chris' parents recently. It was so nice to show our new house and life over here, they had a great time and Naomi was so excited! As always she got very spoiled and the girls enjoyed lots of cuddles. We didn't do any typicly dutch cycling but I don't think they minded! Shopping in Utrecht, not to be missed, was enjoyed instead.

Proud parents


Visit to a lovely castle nearby

Naomi's 3rd birthday!


Bouncy castle at the back of the garden was big success!

nieces

Nieces Anna and Naomi love dancing and playing together posing in front of the new little house!

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Trotse oranje Oma (proud grandma)

Hup Holland Hup :(

Well it's been a amazing entertaining month of football and we have certainly been in the best place! Obviously we are totally gutted we didn't win but its has been an big orange celebration anyway to be part of. Our social life will be very quiet suddenly although with my large family there is always a birthday to attend somewhere and I'll never tire of seeing my family (....yet...joke)
We have managed to leave our camera in chris' parents car so I will update the blog with some pictures as soon as it's arrived back. We had a great time with them here and it was lovely showing them where we live and our new life here. I think they left with a reassured feeling that we are ok here, apart from cycling without a helmet! We are looking forward to many more family and friends visits!
We have finally got a finished house since a few weeks, well no pavement yet at the front, and are really loving the open plan space and garden. Life is good and seems a lot more relaxing and going by the less need for early nights and naps for Chris I think he agrees!
Life's pace is a bit slower here now as people are on holiday, the builders even take a customary long summer break (unfortunately for our pavement) and the rest has a generally 3 week holiday abroad. We are getting to grips with the dutch organisation and efficiency here, Eshter has almost monthly weigh, measure and jabs here by skilled medical/nursing team. It's the small things I miss here from England like the supermarket trolleys for baby's and the cereal choices!
Anyway, we are integrating well altough I caught myself speaking English to someone and wondering why I wasn't getting a response, suppose that's what 15 years in England does to you.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Devon family holiday

We had a great time at the Blake family holiday we have every two years. Lovely to see family again as we have missed them lots and Naomi loved spending time with her cousins and nana and grandad. England is so beautiful, I do miss the hills!
It was strange driving home to Holland and not Manchester. We stocked up on baked beans and crunchy nut although we don't seem to miss anything else food wise (yet!)






Saturday, May 22, 2010

Update

We are doing well and really settling in as you can see on the pictures I think. It certainly felt good to be cycling together today to a near lake with 'beach' enjoying the sunshine and realising this is our life now, having great parks, waters, playgrounds, sports facilities and others recreational and cultural activities right on our doorstep! Another benefit of living in a new build town is that it really makes life easier with a brand new building housing Gp's, dentists, health visitors, midwives, pharmacy, poli-clinic and many more helpful services under one roof and round the corner from us! Everything seems very efficient here and that is a very positive but also been a slightly frustrating thing here!
Chris is settling in well at work and making some new friends whilst I need to develop this still. The days of neighbours knocking on your door with a cake have gone I think and I am the one who will have to win people over with an apple cake replacement! No serious, we are all new in our street and with the garden not finished yet it enabled a nice chat today with my neighbour. I am very happy to get into the coffee culture here, offering hospitality with a good cup of dutch fresh coffee.
Naomi and Esther are doing great. Naomi is really happy and has never been to the play ground so much! She started pre-school and has settled in well. It's giving her some much needed stimulation and interaction and me some time for myself and Esther. Esther is finally sleeping better at night after a few nights and hours of lung sound practice, bless her. We are all looking forward very much to a holiday in Devon soon with the extended Blake family, we are ready for a little break from ongoing jobs to do and longing to meet with the family. Just hope Chris will want to come back...

New bikes!

Well, we are a real dutch citizens now. Not just because we are officially registered at the town hall but also because we have joined the common and vital method of transportation, cycling! And we are not just owners of any bike, no we now have a bakfiets (bike with carrier) and a moederfiets (mother bike)!
Think the pictures speak for itself! In the bakfiets you can carry up to four children on these benches with straps or a carseat and child like we are with space for the pram base and bit of shopping too! Pretty cool we think and the only way to be able to cycle with Esther until she can sit in the front seat of the moederfiets. Everyone has these bikes, specially designed for mums carrying their children. We bought them of ebay and we had great fun cycling together. Naomi loves sitting in both bikes and the bakfiets sends Esther mainly off to sleep even though its quite a bumpy ride at times. It will be our exercise too as Chris is planning to cycle to work and I'll be taking Naomi to pre-school three times a week in the bakfiets. In case you are wondering where the helmets are it's just not done here! There are very safe cycle lanes everywhere. So grandparents don't worry!



Cuddles

view of the kitchen too!


Esther with cousin Ester! Same name,age and both adorable!

Naomi loves having bedtime cuddles with Esther

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Our house!

Here some pictures of our house and street! As you can see we are living next to a building site which is getting a bit frustrating but they promised the scaffolding blocking our house will soon go. The inside however is all lovely!

Happy family!